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' (No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

M. E. SMITH. I GONDUIT RAILWAY TROLLEY.

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(No Model.)

M. H. SMITH. GONDUIT RAILWAY TROLLEY.

Patented June 6, 1893..

2453M MM,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL HOLROYD SMITH, OF HALIFAX, ENGLAND.

CON DU IT RAl LWAY-TROLLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,906, dated June 6, 1893. Application filed April 6, 1886. Serial No. 1981010. (No model.) Patented in England October 14, 1885, No. 12,230).

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MICHAEL HOLROYD SMITH, a subject of Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Halifax, in the county of York,England,haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Collectors for Use in Electrical Rail or Tramway Systems, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in Great Britain, dated October 14, 188-5, No. 12,230,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to traveling collectors or trolleys employed for collecting the electricity from the conductors in electrical rail or tramway systems, said conductors being usually laid in underground channels.

The invention consists of improvements in the construction of such collectors so arranged that they will collect the current and cause it to pass to the motor carried by the car, after passing through which the circuit is completed by the return current being conducted to the rails or channel.

To clearly explain my invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification and in which like letters of reference refer to like parts of the apparatus in the various views or figures. Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a collector With means, shown in the drawings at one end only, of attaching it to the car. Fig. 1 represents a plan View of the attaching device with the spring and top plate removed. Fig. 2 represents a plan on the line 2. 2. in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a plan on the line 3. 3. in Fig. 1 with a modified form of holding device for the collector blade. Fig. 4 represents an end sectional elevation on the line 4.. 4. in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents an enlarged sectional View on the line 5. 5 in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 represents in side elevation a modified form of collector frame or trolley for carrying the collecting blades. plan view of same. Fig. 8 represents an elevation of the contact wings. Fig. 9 represents an elevation of the contact wings, each wing being adapted to collect from both sides. Fig. 10 represents a plan thereof, and Fig. 11 represents an end elevation of said wing.

In practice it has been found extremely difficult to construct a traveling trolley or Fig. 7 represents a the necessity heretofore of removing the whole collector when it is desired to renew the contact pieces or wings. Both these objectionable features are removed by the use of my invention and a further advantage is secured whereby should the collector frame or trolley fail to clear its way or become jammed, the flexible conductor will be detached therefrom without undue strain on or rupture of any of the various parts. It being assumed that the conductors are flat or of tubular section and are carried in an underground channel with but a slit or small longitudinal opening on the road surface the action and use of the various parts will be as follows:

The entire collector will be caused to travel with the car by means of ropes a, a, attached to said car. This attachmentl prefer to make by means of a terminal piece 1 adapted to be carried in an inclined box or casing s, slotted on its under side so that the shank of terminal r, may travel therein, the head 7" being held in position during all normal strains of pulling against a spring 3'. Should the collector frame or trolley become jammed, head r will compress spring s, and travel down casing 8 until it comes to the opening .9 therein when it will slip out and the car run on leaving the collector without breaking any of its parts. The terminal may be readily replaced through the open end of casing s.

I have shown the detaching clip at but one end of the trolley, the clip at the other end being of similar construction and operation and hence I do not deem it necessary to show it. The means by which the conductor becomes detached is hereinafter described.

The other ends of ropes a, a, terminate in rings I), slipped on or secured to the ends of the collector frame or trolley which is adapted to slide or roll along the channel slot or road level 0, and being provided with suitable plows or clearing arms 61, which are preferably slightly inclined as shown in Fig. 1, and

\ ties of the conduit said plates being secured to the heads and to the center portion of the trolley in any suitable manner such as by means of one or more pins passing through said plates, but I prefer to secure them by means of a wedge pin g, driven down a recess formed in the heads e, through which plate f, passes. As the wedge pin would exert a considerable outward pressure it. is necessary to bolt or rivet the sides of heads securely together, which I do by means of rivets g. This arrangement is shown in Fig. 2 as being also employed for securing the flexible plates f, to the center portion of the collector frame or trolley except that the central loose piece is held in position by a wedge pin as will be hereinafter described. In Fig. 3 the plate f is represented as beingheld to the central portion of the collectorframe or trolley by enlarged headsbutl do not deem this such a convenient form of construction. The contact wings it, may be carried on a conducting plate It as shown in Figs. 3, 8, 9, 10 and 11,0r on wires h'as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5 and which is the plan I prefer; the wires being carried up through projecting portions on the back of said wings h and being held thereto by means of a wedge pin W. This construction enables the wings to be readily detached when worn, and fresh ones to be substituted. From the wings the conductors it pass up through insulating material 77. and this in turn is covered by boards or other stiff material 2', which will hold the conductors in position. A strengthening piece or clamp a" is preferably placed just below the part which would be on a level with the crown of the channel and above this and passing through the slit, the ends and sides of the wood are covered with iron or steel j which will better withstand the greater or lesser amount of rubbing or wearing between this portion of the collector frame or trolley and the edges of the channel slit. The iron or steel may with advantage be provided with lugs j and be extended up through the clamping plates is, which would be recessed to receive said lugs or projections, thus insuring the accurate and ready adjustment of clamps k at the proper point to bring the wings h against the main conductors. Clamping plates 70 are held in proper contact with iron or steel plates j, by means of loose piece It adapted to fit in the recess on clamp 70, and against which pressure is exerted by wedge key it which passes through holes formed in the lugs on clamp 7t. It will be understood therefore that when the wings h are to be replaced the collector is brought over a manhole in the channel, the key 10 isdriven out and the loose piece 70 is removed, the wings h, wires h, with the plates 2, being then lifted out without removing the rest of the collector frame or trolley. The wires h terminate at crosspin Z, to which the ends are secured. The outer ends of crosspin Z, are held by conducting arms I pivoted at Z and held in position and in contact by a rubber ring or spring on. Also pivoted on Z is the terminal a, in which the conductor 0 to the motor is held.

Should the collector frame or trolley become jammed from any cause while the car is moving one of the drawing ropes a, would become detached as before described, or break and the other would slip off while the strainon the conductor 0 and through it on pin l would overcome the power of the spring m, and the conducting arms Z would leave crosspin Z, thus breaking contact without damaging or disturbing the other conducting parts.

Instead of one set of wings 72, two or more may obviously be employed and in Figs. 6 and 7 I have indicated three sets of carriers for said wings as being attached to a modified form of collector frame or trolley which is intended to travel in the groove or slit in the channel by rolling contact, secured by means of centrally flanged wheels p, which are represented as being carried by frames pivoted at q to thecentral portion. This construction obviates the necessity of employing the flexi: ble plates f, whilethe metal covering plates may be held by clamping pieces as previously described.

Having thus described the nature of my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric railway or tramway system the combination with the car, of conductors and collectors and automatically detachable articulated or flexible connections between the conductor and car,s.ubstantially as described.

2. In an electric railway or tramway system the combination with acar carrying conductors, of a frame or trolley carrying conductors and collectors, the frame and conductors being detachably connected to the car by flexible releasing clips, substantially as described.

3. In an electric railway or tramway system the combination Witha car of a frameor trolley having clearers flexibly connected to the frame and automatic detachable connections between the car and the trolley, substantially as described.

4. The combination in a traveling collector or trolley for electric systems, of a body car.- rying the contact wingsorbrushes, and clearers secured to said body by flexible connec tions, substantially as described.

5. For electrical rail or tramway systems a collector frame or trolley formed with plows or clearers connected to the main portion of said collector frame or trolley by flexible bands which are secured by pins g, substantially as set forth.

6. For electrical rail or tramway systems the combination with a collector frame or trolley of insulated conductors secured in the frame and contact wings or brushes supported upon the flexible ends of the conductors, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination in the collector frame or trolley for electrical systems of the removable piece 70' clamp piece is, key 70 plates j, j, and lugs j, j, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a collector or trolley for electric systems of a releasing clip for mechanical connections consisting of a slotted casing, a spring inclosed therein, a terminal with a headed shank resting in said casing,

and 'flexibly connected to the trolley, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a collector or trolley for electrical systems, of a releasing clip for electrical connections consisting of pivoted conducting arms embracing the electrical terminal of the trolley and an elastic retaining device for holding the said arms in contact with the said terminal, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MICHAEL I'IOLROYD SMITH.

Witnesses:

PHILIP M. J USTIOE, ALLEN P. JONES. 

